Warner Bros. Shifts Film Release Schedule: Could The Move Hurt Momentum From 'The Batman'?

A major movie studio is changing up its release schedule, including several highly anticipated comic book franchise adaptations.

What Happened: Warner Bros., a unit of AT&T Inc T, announced Thursday it would change several movie release dates:

• “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” moved from Dec. 16, 2022 to March 17, 2023
• “The Flash” moved from Nov. 4, 2022 to June 23, 2023
• “Black Adam” moved from July 29, 2022 to Oct. 21, 2022
• “DC League of Super-Pets” moved from May 20, 2022 to July 29, 2022
• “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” moved from June 2, 2023 to Dec. 12, 2022
• “Wonka” moved from March 17, 2023 to Dec. 15, 2023

Related Link: The Batman Regins At US Box Office With $120M Opening Weekend 

Why It’s Important: Warner Bros. got off to a hot start in 2022 with the release of “The Batman” on March 4. The movie grossed $134 million in its opening weekend and has grossed $155.6 million domestically and $279.8 million globally to date.

“The Batman” and “The Flash” were ranked first and 10th, respectively, on a list of the most anticipated 2022 releases by IMDB.

The shuffling by Warner Bros. comes after years of movies being delayed or some launched simultaneously in theatres and on streaming platform HBO Max.

Warner Bros. was a bright spot for AT&T in the last full fiscal year with segment revenue of $35.6 billion, up 17% year-over-year, which was the biggest increase of the company’s operating segments.

The company ended the year with 73.8 million subscribers for HBO and HBO Max. These platforms could stand to lose as they will likely face a 45-day delay from theatrical release before being available to stream. AT&T could see higher churn with the 2022 calendar now looking light.

Top 2022 releases from Warner Bros. outside of the aforementioned movies include “Fantastic Beasts: The Secret of Dumbledore” on April 15 and “Creed III” on Nov. 23.